Orange Box: Joining The Beauty Box Craze

Have you noticed the ongoing trend of monthly beauty box? I'm not really sure who pioneered it but I first encountered this from Michelle Phan's company now called 'ipsy'. Basically, you get a monthly box of beauty products of different brands that may come in sample or full size.

I love experimenting and discovering different beauty products but I haven't really tried subscribing to this monthly beauty box because I still have a lot. Bottom line, I don't really need it. But If you just started your love for makeup, the beauty box trend is recommended. I have seen different local companies already catering this service. Fortunately, my mentor, Jigs Mayuga, gave me a beauty box from Orange Box as a gift. Since he knows that I have a beauty blog, he thought I should give it a try.

"Orangebox is an online site for high quality beauty, grooming and lifestyle products."

Quick Product Review: Plum Affair

Summer has ended and the rainy season has just begun. Time to bring out dark and strong lippies appropriate for the climate. I have been crazy for plums lately thus the title.

I just recently discovered the beauty of this color that's why I only have 2 to show you. One is quite affordable and the other one is a bit pricey. Like I said, I am a lipstick junkie. So if I like a particular color, I try to find different shades of it.

Summer? More Fun in the Philippines!

Definitely! With a lot of bodies of water surrounding our islands, it's a must to spend summer here in our country. For the past 2 summers, I was out of the country and missed the fun of soaking in water and sun. But this year, I got the chance to see local beaches for the first time. Here are 3 places I have been this season. :)

Cebu (with SMART friends)

We spent most of our time in the city to EAT. Haha! Probably the most memorable thing about this trip was that night when we devoured on 1.5 kilos of Rico's lechon. Ugh. Forget diet. It's worth it!

The infamous humongous ribs at Casa Verde

Cholesterol on a plate but it was worth it

Tried Skywalk and Edge Coaster

Also had lunch with a friend from the Glee Club, Chloe! :)

But one thing I love about the trip was our stay at Bantayan Island. This pristine and isolated island is
the perfect place to have peace and quiet time. Though the sand is not as fine as Boracay, it's still an amazing beach for a getaway with just a few people around and a bottle to drink.

Nothing beats this! (photo by JC)

We stayed at Anika Beach Resort (highly recommended) that served us fresh seafood, most were caught that day. Also, you are assured of a good stay because their spacious rooms come with a balcony to feel the ocean breeze (do get the ocean view).

Obligatory tourist photo :p

Product Review: Benefit Cosmetics Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation

Have you found your everyday liquid foundation cause I just found mine. Actually, I don't normally wear foundation daily because as much as possible, I want my skin to breathe. But for days that I need extra coverage (hello PMS), I reach for my Benefit Cosmetics Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation in Toasted Beige. I am a lucky girl cause I got it for almost half the price during the Benefit Cosmetics sale in their Greenbelt 5 branch.

Benefit Cosmetics 'Hello Flawless' Oxygen Wow in "Warm Me Up"/Toasted Beige

Price: Php 1,950.00 (I got it on sale and cost me Php 995.00)

Where to buy: Benefit Cosmetics store and counters

Charm Travel Pro Brush Set Review: My Favorite Personal Set

Every girl should have a brush set they can use for applying makeup but for someone who's not really into it, a set can be quite expensive. Luckily, we now have local brands that sell affordable and quality brushes.

As a MUA, I do purchase the more prestigious brands for my clients. However, it's not the case for myself. I give more weight on the quality rather than the brand, that's why when I was able to test this Charm Travel Pro Set, I know it will be worth it.

Long Overdue Haul Post! (For Review Soon)

Hello ladies! Here's another quick haul post as teaser for my upcoming reviews. Some where sponsored and some where purchased with my own moolah.

Maquillage Professionel Class: Days 9-13

Hi everyone! I have little time today to do this post. I will not tell much so hopefully the photos will tell the story. I am finally done with makeup school last December 2012 and here are are the last few looks I did.

Day 9 (Bridal Makeup - Traditional)

I used pinks for a very youthful and fresh look. :)

Day 10 (Bridal Makeup - Arabian Style)

Since Geli has gorgeous almond eyes, I think she's the perfect model for this look. :)

Day 11 (Audibiche)

This is more of a theater-friendly look that gives you an illusion of bigger eyes. Lady Gaga uses this technique in most of her looks. The lower lashes and crystals add more power to the eye makeup. :)

Day 12 (Evantrail)

Color blocking! Cleanliness is the key for this look. You want to make sure that each color is separated seamlessly. Since I used warmer colors, I added the crystals to lighten it up a bit. :)

Day 13 (Freestyle)

Can you guess my inpiration for this look? Since this is our last day, I want to challenge myself and do an avant garde look. Voila! I've been meaning to do a flamingo inspired look for such a long time, even before makeup school. So glad that I finally made my own interpretation of it. :)

It was such a bittersweet day. Bitter cause I missed going to school every Saturday as well as the people I get to see and interact with. Sweet cause I can officially say that I am a makeup artist. Like I said in my first post, this is just the beginning of a long journey ahead. I am stoked and anxious at the same time cause this industry is booming (means more competition). Nevertheless, I'll do my thing the best way I can and hopefully people will get to appreciate it.

With my mentor, Ms. Mikee!

My batchmates! Miss these lads! :)

I would like to personally thank the following who made schooling possible: God,family, Eugene, friends, mentors, classmates and my super willing models (Martha, Leslie, Beth, Czar, Cla, Ai, Geli, Rina).

It's been great after graduating. I didn't expect to get more bookings that quick but I am more than happy to accommodate them.

Cheers to more dreams fulfilled! On to the next one! :)

To get more up close and personal, follow me on Twitter and Instagram! :)

Makeup Tutorial: Sultry Valentine's Day Look

Hello everyone! I'm back for quick post that I'm sure will be handy tomorrow or in the next few days. We all know that tomorrow is a special day that most if not all of us look forward to. Anyway, this look is not only for the attached ladies, it's actually daring that even single ladies can wear. But don't fret cause this is super easy to do.

This is a long overdue tutorial that was supposed to be published last Christmas season but I figured that ladies can still rock this look on Valentine's. Let's proceed!

STEP 1: As usual, don't forget to put your favorite eye primer. Apply 'Hustle' from Naked Palette on your lids by tapping it to ensure that color is deposited well. You can use any taupe eyeshadow for this look. Don't go beyond the crease for a more natural look.

Maquillage Professionel Class: Days 6, 7 & 8

Hello dearies! Let me just give you a quick preview of my days 6, 7 and 8 in makeup school. I have already learned so much and I can't wait to share it with you. :)

Day 6: Smokey Eye Makeup

I learned that the classic smokey eye look should only use one color. And with that color, you will try to create a fading effect (just like a smoke) from your lids to your crease. When doing this look, it's best to arm yourself with a clean quality blending brush.

For my hands-on, I decided to use green. To make it more vibrant, I used flash colors before setting it with the eye shadow powder. Again, the key to this look is blending. :)

Product Review: Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips

The colder days are coming and  with this type of weather, chapped lips are very common. I always tell people to religiously put balm on their lips cause it really does wonders. Girls, it's important to protect and take care of this particular body part. Why?

1. It's easier to apply lip products with smooth and crack-free lips. Plus, it looks healthier too!

2. It avoids dead skin cell build up.

3. It's more hygienic and pleasant to the eyes.

One of the most common, affordable and effective product you can use is PETROLEUM JELLY. A lot of people swear by this product cause it really keeps your lips smooth with regular use. But I find the regular one quite boring. That's why when I found this particular kind of petroleum jelly, I knew I had to buy it.

Brand: Vaseline Lip Therapy Petroleum Jelly in Rosy Lips

Price: €1.50 (Around Php80++)

Location: Penneys Ireland

Maquillage Professionel Class: Days 4 & 5

Finally, a new post! These are long overdue photos of my makeup classes but you know what they say, better late than never. This post will summarize the result of my hands-on for days 4 and 5 in makeup school.  I decided to post these classes together since they are somewhat related.

Day 4: Makeup du Jour (Day Makeup)

I believe that every MUA should be able to execute this kind of makeup of effortlessly. This look is suitable for people who have events in the morning. One thing to take note about this look is the use of natural colors. Basically, you only want to enhance the features of the client without altering the whole face.

My digicam was giving me a hard time that we had to use Czar's camera phone

I'm Back! Really! Plus Quick Updates!

And I'm back... yet again. Sorry for missing for such a long time. I owe you guys a lot of great posts. For the mean time, let me give you a teaser of what to expect from my blog for the next few weeks. Hopefully the photos will explain how much busy I was to do a decent post.

New Product Reviews!

Different looks we did at Makeup School!

Where I've been and what I ate!

Photo by Will Tan

Photo by Lloyd Go

Photo by Will Tan

I hope the photos will make you forget my absence. Hihi! See you on my next posts. :)

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and GFC! <3

Maquillage Professionel Class: Days 2 & 3

And I'm back! Sorry for not posting for more than a week. As some of you may know, I recently went to Cambodia for vacation with 2 friends. Still in awe with all the temples I saw. Anyhoo, I'll save that for another post. Let me just give you a quick overview of my Day 2 & 3 at makeup school.

DAY 2 - Eyebrow Correction and Facial Contouring

On this day we learned about the proper way to shape eyebrows. Like I said in my previous post, eyebrows can help frame your whole face, making it more symmetrical. I found this day exciting since you know how much I love eyebrow shaping. Hihi. Also, it was my first time to use a gel based eyebrow product from MUFE. Challenge accepted!

We also discussed facial contouring and highlighting, another important step to achieve good makeup look. These techniques will help achieve a perfect oval shape. It can also emphasize your good facial assets and hide a few imperfections. There were 2 methods introduced and one of which is dry contouring. This method is what I've been using for the past 2 years. But the next method, which is wet contouring, is something new to me. I've heard of it from other makeup artists but it's my first time to try it out myself. Ms. Mikee encouraged the experienced MUAs to try out wet contouring for the whole face.

I got my pretty friend Leslie to model for me and after my hands-on, here's the result.

August Makeup Haul (Don't Miss The Pink Case)

Hello ladies! I would just like to share with you my haul last month. It's not a lot but I think you'll find it quite interesting. Let me go first with a new eyeshadow palette gifted by a friend on my birthday. I've only had 2 Smashbox items in my kit. I really like the quality of their products but I find them a bit pricey. We all know that Smashbox is famous for its face & eye primers, cream liners, O-Glow, HD foundation, etc. So yeah, you can tell how much giddy I was when I received it from my friend (Hello Cas!).